In a year of huge cultural, historical and sporting relevance, brands will be (and already are) fighting for ‘white space’ and unique ways to engage with the British public. During this very busy year the strategy and tactics that brands choose are critical, which is why we decided to use this Synopsis to look at some of the activation trends we are expecting to see in 2012.

At a macro level, experiential marketing (EM) is a growth trend in itself . Experiential specialists have long debated the need for integration with digital media to extend the reach of the live activity beyond a single interaction. Momentum has been driven primarily by the growth of social networks, which provide longevity, an extended audience and a measurement tool for the effectiveness of such campaigns.

Marketers are more concerned than ever about customer experience and innovation, but with a need to find simple, differentiating tactics, expect 2012 to be a year of the ‘Ts’.

TECHNOLOGY

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)

RFID is a system that can transmit the identity of a person wirelessly using radio waves.  A portable device (for example a wristband, PDA, card, smart phone or even just a sticker) automatically transmits the data to an RFID reader, where it is then processed.

RFID has been used for many years - in fact, you may be using it in one form or another every day. I used RFID technology at least five times before I reached my desk today via my Oyster and Engine building access cards.  In 2006, the Emirates Stadium opened with an electronic ticketing system and members of ‘The Arsenal’ use their membership cards to enter the stadium, removing the need for gate security staff.

The ability of RFID technology to unite live and digital, by allowing consumers to share a real-time brand experience and messages in a controlled fashion with social networks, has seen the technology flourish.  At the recent Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange London,  RFID technology was implemented for guests to share their real time nightlife experience on Facebook. After a simple registration process guests could ‘check-in’, ‘like’ and post photos directly to their walls by tapping their RFID wristbands on ‘Facebook Interactive Pods’.  All posts were predetermined by Smirnoff which provided an element of controlled messaging. The event was amplified to 1.6 million people on Facebook. Laura Moody of Blondefish, the event technology company who deliver this RFID solution for Smirnoff comments:  ”The use of RFID technology in the event space is delivering  powerful results for both the live audience and brand sponsorship. Consumers and brands are embracing the way RFID can deliver a more personal, memorable and interactive live experience. As guests share their experiences on social media they become advocates for the brand, delivering huge levels of online brand amplification.”

It is not only events that are seeing the benefits and word-of-mouth that RFID can offer. In 2011, Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel installed Facebook pods for guests to “make all their Facebook friends jealous.”

With the costs of RFID coming down and the possibilities endless, there are some exciting developments that could change the face of experiential marketing.

Music festivals are quickly discovering the benefits of using RFID.  It is making ticketing and admissions more efficient, while ‘cashless’ payment methods are reducing security problems (there is no need to carry a wallet), driving purchases and allowing brands to track spending patterns.

The ability to analyse individuals’ purchasing patterns allows a brand to deliver personalised content and offers.  This not only drives spend (Mastercard in Canada has seen a 25% increase in spending by users of its RFID credit cards), but can also make customers feel more connected to the brand.  Minority Report’s vision in 2002 of personalised advertising seemed something for the very distant future – but RFID is bringing it closer.

Augmented Reality & Blippar™
Image recognition is another way to connect the real world to the virtual one and 2011 saw plenty of brands experimenting with QR codes.  However, it is safe to say that QR codes haven’t exactly set the world alight – usage has been low and according to a survey of 794 online respondents by Simpson Carpenter, just 36% of consumers know what QR codes are for, while only 11% have actually used them.

However, 2012 could be the year that Image Recognition finally takes off, thanks to Blippar™ – the 2.0 QR code. Blippar uses your phone’s in-built camera to bring a static image to life and provide an interactive experience. The difference between this and a QR code…the ‘wow’ factor.

Having previously used QR codes, Domino’s wanted to step up the innovation and required a more dynamic tool. Its current Blippar™-powered campaign promotes the brand’s ’555′ deal. Consumers simply hold their smartphone up to a Domino’s poster and it comes alive, allowing them to download deals, get the Domino’s mobile ordering app, become a Facebook fan and find out more about their local store.

KitKat are giving customers the chance to vote for their favourite new flavour by scanning posters using the Blippar™ app. The brand is also cleverly integrating geofencing into the campaign so that customers will be alerted whenever they are within a certain distance of a store which sells the  KitKat Chunky flavour they voted for.

Sponsorship activation can really benefit from the ability to dynamically interact with static branding. We are not expecting Blippar™ pitch logos quite yet, but over the next few years we will certainly see the decline in static stadium and event branding and advertising. In January alone a number of big brands have started to use Blippar™, and expect loads more to follow during the rest of 2012.

THEATRICS

With an influx of 2 million tourists to London, there is a huge opportunity for brands to engage with consumers in 2012. Brands will need to be clever to cut through the noise, and ‘drama’ can provide the essential memorable hook for consumers.

Flash mobs
Flash mobs bring an experience to people in unexpected moments. Flash mobs are essentially a group of people getting together to do something unexpected, before quickly dispersing. They are becoming more and more popular, bringing a sense of wonder to those that encounter them. Brands have harnessed the power of flash mobs to engage with customers and create interesting content and brand experiences, as T-Mobile showed with their famous ads.

Flash mobs don’t require a lot of money, making them an ideal tactic for a small business, or when budgets are squeezed. The beauty of Flash mobs is their complete integration with social media and their potential to go viral and provide entertainment to not only the people who were there, but those who want to watch and share.

Boris Johnson is obviously a Flash mob fan:- the Mayor of London is using them to promote London as a city of history and culture during the Cultural Olympiad this summer. Mark Rylance, one of Britain’s greatest Shakespearean actors, and his crew of 50 actors (all disguised as ‘normal people’) will stage ‘Flash performances’ of sonnets and speeches.  The unexpectedness of the experience will make it unforgettable for the people involved, while the content (both the planned scripts and unplanned audience reaction) will undoubtedly be shared around the world.

It is not a leap to imagine brands considering this as an opportunity for engagement during the Games, with consumers themselves (if wowed by the experience) providing the communications medium. There are, however, a few rules to making a flash mob successful and preventing this looking like a poor ‘am-dram’ performance:

1) Simplicity & originality for maximum impact

2) Good quantity and quality of ‘performers’ recruited for wow factor

3) Participants and location must blend together for the element of surprise

Sadly Qantas didn’t follow these simple rules for this effort to promote a new route:

Pop Ups

2011 was the year of Pop Ups, and we think that this trend will continue to grow in 2012, particularly with available commercial property sitting vacant. Pop Ups are by no means a new phenomenon with restaurants, shops and galleries embracing them; however, it is now brands that are starting to realise the benefit of a temporary location that makes a statement, delivers an immediate impact and captures the consumer’s imagination. Combine a Pop Up with an event drawing millions in attendance and you have a powerful brand experience.

In 2011, Chanel took Pop Ups to a new level with the arrival of the Hollywood glitterati for the Cannes Film Festival. Golden mosaic-tiled walls, dedicated make-up and nail bars, an exhibition space of Chanel gowns and suits previously worn by actors, and a private lounge on the first floor with views of the red carpet leading up to the Palais des Festivals all helped to deliver the ultimate Chanel experience.

This summer we will see a plethora of Pop Ups appearing across London and much can be learned from those that have gone before them.

1) Locations. Good footfall, transport links and signage will benefit the Pop Up with a steady stream of customers. However, some of the more interesting locations aren’t on the high street, in which case building a strong communications programme and integrating with social media and technologies such as location-based services are essential

2) Content. Build a story. Offer a unique take and provide a new way for customers to consider the brand. New content will give the feeling of exclusivity

3) Innovative branding and stylish fixtures including digital media

THROUGH THE LINE INTEGRATION

So who will be the winners in 2012? From our perspective it will be those that have developed personalised, innovative, simple and, most importantly, integrated experiential campaigns.

Nike has made a strong start in the battle of the sports brands with its #makeitcount campaign. It is a brilliant example of a campaign which fully integrates ATL, experiential and digital to deliver great content and brand experiences.  The campaign uses simple, standout photography and video to deliver a powerful message and a simple call to action…how will you #makeitcount in 2012?

But the really exciting thing is the way Nike has integrated experiential and social media into its campaign and made it relevant for everyone from elite athletes to gym dodgers (like me).  Customers are invited to have their picture taken by a professional photographer in the style of the campaign and are given the chance to create a handwritten pledge as to how they will #makeitcount.  The photo and message are not only shareable via social media channels, but will be displayed outdoor as part of the campaign.

@Nike has created its first single, dedicated Twitter feed. So far over 60,000 people have responded to the cry with #makeitcount. The first tweet on this account is from Nike founder Bill Bowerman: ‘If You Have A Body, You Are An Athlete’.

And, if you are ever in doubt that simplicity provides impact, check out another offering from Nike:

Experiential has always been able to deliver powerful brand experiences.  The issue has been the reach and the fact that it has only ‘touched’ relatively few people. But as we can see, digital and social media channels are unlocking the full potential of experiential marketing by extending this reach exponentially.

And, of course, the power of sponsorship is that it gives brands the content and access they require to create experiential activity around their customers’ core passions.

By Lisa Parfitt on January 25th, 2012

Tags: Advertising, Branded content, Content, Digital marketing, Experiential marketing, Facebook, Flash mobbing, London 2012, Mobile, Synopsis

No comments

On Sunday 18th September, 54,000 runners took part in the world’s largest half marathon, the Bupa Great North Run. The Synergy team developed an integrated campaign to enhance the race experience for runners, spectators and the watching world. The runner experience was developed, with both physical and emotional support throughout their race journey from training and preparation, to the race experience itself.

 

Socialising the Bupa Great North

The big challenge for 2011, was to connect the amazing runner experience with a broader audience. The Bupa Great North Run has had incredible human interest stories since its inception in 1981; today the displays of human endeavour are more powerful than ever. With this insight at its heart, Synergy developed a simple, yet enormously powerful social media campaign to provide non-runners with an opportunity to feel part of the race experience of 54,000 runners.

The campaign was designed to connect consumers with the emotions of runners, utilising Bupa ambassador Mo Farah. Mo laid down the challenge to the nation, requesting messages of support to inspire Great North Runners on race day.

This was all delivered through the Bupa Running social media community on Facebook and Twitter. Over 400 of the best messages were then selected and used to design a giant ‘Mo Farah Mural’.

 

Mo unveiled the mural at the Bupa Great North Show in front of thousands of fans and gathered media the day before the race. Coverage included: Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, CNN, BBC Look North, ITV Tyne Tees and BBC Radio Newcastle.

Race Day

The mural was then integrated throughout the Bupa race day experience, including the now legendary Bupa Boost Zone. Alongside the installation of the Bupa sports physio and massage experience, elated runners were able to celebrate their Bupa Great North Run alongside Mo Farah, and take in the emotive messages of support from across the UK on the Mo Farah Mural.

Bupa Boost Zone and The Mo Farah Mural

Inside the Bupa Boost Zone

By David Gerty on October 13th, 2011

Tags: Experiential marketing, Facebook, Marathon, PR, Public relations, Social Media, Sponsorship, Sport, Synergy, Synopsis, Twitter

No comments

Sponsorship is dead, long live sponsorship

Those of you who are regular readers of Synopsis may have spotted a pattern. The lead articles are not Synergy’s random musings but rather the building blocks of a bigger story about the new rules of sponsorship.

But before we get to the rules, a little bit of context. Like all marketing disciplines, sponsorship has evolved over time…but every now and then, there is a paradigm shift which generates an explosion of innovation and introduces a completely new way of acting. Excitingly, we have entered one of these new eras – the 4th Era of Sponsorship.

Below is a rough timeline of how the Sponsorship Industry has evolved. There is never a clear line in the sand to separate the various eras (and of course there are always sponsorship programmes that are ahead of their time), but to keep things simple, they can be broadly separated into decades.

1970s: The Dark Art

The very beginnings of the sponsorship industry were characterised by informal deals done on a handshake in smoke-filled rooms — often literally smoke-filled, as much of the early days of sponsorship were driven by cigarette brands putting their brand on the side of fast cars to circumvent advertising restrictions.

1980s – 1990s: Off-the-Peg

Patrick Nally is credited as being the founding father of modern sponsorship. His ground-breaking partnership deal with Coca-Cola for the 1978 FIFA World Cup effectively ‘invented’ the concept of a rights package. This has set the template for how sponsorships have been packaged and sold by rightsholders ever since.

2000s: Tailored

Brands started to become much more sophisticated and proactive in terms of how they approached sponsorship. No longer was it thought of as a collection of off-the-shelf rights or as a separate marketing channel, but rather as an asset that could be integrated into the overall marketing mix and used to increase the effectiveness of the brand’s marketing activity.

2010: Social

The 4th Era is the “Social Era” for two reasons. Firstly, it has been enabled by social media which has allowed people (and brands) with shared interests to engage with each other at a scale and depth that has never before been possible. Social also refers to a sense of ‘Higher Purpose’ – the ability of a sponsorship programme to connect with its audience by delivering something that really matters.

The Rules of the Social Era

Moving to the Social Era has changed the game of sponsorship and everyone can benefit from knowing the new rules. We have analysed hundreds of best practice case studies from the world of sponsorship and beyond to identify and codify the keys to success in the Social Era.

We have been examining these new rules one by one over the past 5 months but now it is time to bring them all together.

It’s as easy as ABCDE…

Rule 1: Authenticity

Endorses for Courses by Jon Izzard

The best sponsorship programmes, the ones that really resonate with the audience, feel completely natural. The brand simply feels at home in the space. Think of Red Bull and extreme sports, Cartier and Polo, Robinsons and Wimbledon, Unicef and FC Barcelona, Coca-Cola and the Olympic Games, Moët & Chandon and F1. There are loads of sources of authenticity: products, geography, heritage, brand message and simple longevity.

Some brands have to work hard to establish authenticity in a given space, but it is imperative that they do because the very audience that a sponsor is trying to connect with can see through an imposter straight away. Skoda’s sponsorship of the Tour de France provides a great example of a brand working hard to establish credibility in a space where its source of credibility may not be immediately obvious.  Brilliant:

Rule 2: Beyond your Brand

What Can Sponsorship Learn from Farmville by Liz Brown

Sponsorship is about a brand becoming a natural part of their customers’ lives — but the audience needs a reason to invite a brand into their lives.  Brands that view the relationship with their audience as a one-way value exchange and think only in terms of “what will we get out of it”, have no chance of forming the kind of relationship they want. Again, there are a number of ways that brands can demonstrate “Beyond your Brand” thinking, focusing on delivering benefits to their customers (O2 Priority), the property (Converse and London’s 100 Club) and society as a whole (RBS RugbyForce).

Rule 3: Content

Is Content Really King by Ben Wilkinson

Consumers want to learn, laugh, discover, share, be entertained and be inspired.  And they want to do all these things around topics that are of specific interest to them.  That is what sponsorship allows you to do: create relevant content around your audience’s passion points.  But brands have to be creative to capture attention — posting a video of “talking heads” on YouTube and hoping for the best is not enough.  Great content is about innovation.  It’s about finding something that connects and resonates with your audience and providing it how they want it, when they want it and where they want it.

Our favourite example of this is Converse Domaination — a campaign that not only puts great content at its heart but also shows a perfect understanding of its audience.  Enjoy.

Rule 4: Dialogue

D is for Dialogue by Carsten Thode

Talking to each other, sharing ideas, working together, creating things, discovering  new stuff,  having fun, laughing, crying, flirting, arguing – everything that makes life worth living is built on our ability to actively engage with each other. Why should that be different from the relationships we build with the brands in our lives?

Yet for most of its history, marketing has been pretty much a one-way conversation where brands tell you what they want you to know and the customer has no way of talking back.  However, the digital age, and particularly the social media age, has smashed through the barrier separating brands from their consumers.

Now it is possible to source brilliant ideas from your customers such as Pepsi Refresh and GE Ecomagination, or to tailor your marketing in real-time to reflect input from your customers. The Old Spice Man is a classic case in point of how much more engaging the conversation becomes if you give your customers a voice.

Rule 5: Entertainment

Passion Pointers by Tom Gladstone

Sport has a particular ability to evoke strong emotions through its personal stories of courage, inspiration and determination; through its inherent unpredictability, excitement and drama. Those emotions are an essential component of successful sponsorship – and are as relevant across other sponsorship platforms (music, film, fashion, art) as they are in sport. Harness the emotions correctly, and your consumers will add the catalyst of conversation.

But while simply being visible within a passion point might increase the chances of getting noticed, it doesn’t win a place in consumers’ hearts. There has to be active emotional involvement, not just proximity or presence — engagement not impressions. Whether brands capitalise on moments of high emotion or they tap into the core emotional sensibility of the passion point, anchored in anticipation, pride, patriotism, celebration, or even pain, they all need to exhibit genuine empathy and understanding.

This rule is articulated nicely by Mark Harrison, Chair of the Canadian Sponsorship Forum: ‘You can’t manufacture emotion. It’s already there. When you find it – just find a way to trigger it; tap into it; fuel it; and watch it grow into something remarkable.’

Using ABCDE

ABCDE is not a menu, where you can choose one or two elements to focus on. Rather, a great sponsorship programme will deliver against all the rules of the 4th Era.

Obviously, this framework isn’t rocket science, but at Synergy, we have found it to be incredibly useful as we advise our clients at every point of the sponsorship process.  We use it not only as a kind of checklist to diagnose where we are strong and where we need to work harder but also to ensure that all elements of the sponsorship programme - from creating the strategy and identifying the right assets right through to the activation – deliver the ABCDE.  So, before signing off, here are a few ways that it can be used to make your sponsorship programmes even more powerful:

1. Articulate specifically how you are using sponsorship to deliver all elements of ABCDE. Sponsorship strategies should use deep audience insight and a clear understanding of the business and brand to ensure that you are using sponsorship as effectively as possible in the 4th Era

2. When making the decision to acquire a new sponsorship asset, make sure that there is a concrete plan in place to deliver the ABCDE. Use it as part of the screening process and answer questions like: “What gives my brand authenticity in this space? How can I build or acquire authenticity?”  “What is the higher purpose of the sponsorship?  How are we adding value?”

3. When creating activation plans, be specific about which elements of ABCDE you need to focus on and how you will be able to deliver them.  For example: “How can we stimulate dialogue amongst our audience?  What role should our brand play in that conversation”

4. Factor ABCDE into your measurement. Create specific targets around each element and evaluate your success at achieving them.  Where do you have to work harder?

© Synergy Sponsorship a trading division of Engine Partners UK LLP 2011.  All rights reserved

By Carsten Thode on September 1st, 2011

Tags: Advertising, Brand marketing, Branded content, Communications, community, Consultancy, Content, Default, Design, Digital marketing, Event management consultants, Event management service, Experiential marketing, Food & Drink, Football Sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship consultants, Sales promotion, Sponsorship, Sponsorship consultancy, Sponsorship consultants, Sport, Synergy, Synergy Loves, Synopsis, Twitter, Viral Marketing

No comments

It’s summertime and Festival Fever is in the air. Over the last decade the festival scene has evolved. From grungy music festivals to a broad spectrum of events to suit young and old, ‘musos’ to ‘foodies’, there is something for everyone. Entertainment options range from large scale music festivals to small boutique-style events. In cash-strapped times, when family holidays abroad are an unnecessary expense, weekends away to UK festivals and events has become favoured family entertainment at great value.

We talk a lot about ‘passion points’ in sponsorship and festival and live event partnerships offer brands the perfect opportunity to target the desired audience engaging on a personal level. And if the event or festival doesn’t exist then why not create one, specifically for the consumer, to deliver the ‘Holy Grail’ for event and experiential marketing…..the perfect brand experience that delivers results.

The Synergy experiential team has picked out some of our favourite summer events and festivals from sponsored events to events created by brands…enjoy.

What: LolliBop – The Big Bash for Little People
Where: Regents Park
When: 5th – 7th August

Described as a ‘magical land of endless fun’ for the under 10s that offers the thrills of a festival vibe but without the hassle of camping or long car journeys, LolliBop is the UK’s only festival where all of the entertainment is for children. Adults are also offered a wealth of treats including guest musicians and DJs, relaxing cocktails, tea & treatments, market stalls and a real ale festival bar.

Two brands who have seen the value of being involved with Lollibop are Britvic and Organix. At this year’s event Britvic sampled their My5 product and encouraged children to take part in fruit themed games whilst Organix used the festival to seed their recently launched Mighty Meals range amongst influential mums.

What: Taste of London
Where: Regents Park
When: 16-19 June

Fine dining transported to Regent’s Park for four days of summer eating, drinking and entertainment.  What more could you want from a festival!  With over 40 of the city’s best restaurants dishing up their finest in an unbeatable alfresco gourmet feast,  while 200 producers provide a bounty of the best food and beverages, ensuring guests sample and shop for a range of produce in the laid back atmosphere of a boutique food market.

With restaurants fashioning special menus of starter sized dishes for the occasion, including signature dishes created by chefs to specially reflect their philosophy and showcase seasonal and premium ingredients it is certainly worth the wait at the restaurants you may not usually have access to, however it isn’t cheap with dishes ranging from £3-£5, if you wish to try an array of dishes.

Sponsored by British Airways, Executive Club member (Gold and Silver) have access to the VIP Lounge, re-creation of the super luxurious airport lounges with champagne and delicious dishes from BA’s executive chefs. Other brands involved include the AEG cookery school and to celebrate the release of their brand new 508 model, this year at Taste, Peugeot launched their baking Theatre, La Pâtisserie.

When the weather is great, Taste of London is a must, however if the British Summer rain is threatening, be sure to take your Hunters and brollies as limited cover does put a little dampener on the occasion.

What: Ben & Jerry’s Double Scoop Sundae Festival 2011
Where: Clapham Common, London & Heaton Park, Manchester
When: 23rd & 24th July

This family-oriented music festival, occurring at two venues over the course of two days, draws over 40,000 fans, more than 25 acts, and of course consists of tons of free Ben & Jerry’s Fairtrade ice cream.

Perhaps the greatest appeal of this festival for children and adults alike is its ability to bring out the little kid in everyone.  With its fairground attractions, like meeting the animals at the petting zoo, playing games like Ice Your Own Cookies, and suggesting new ice cream recipe activities, this interactive event is certainly one not to dismiss.

A diverse range of music features throughout the festival, with line-ups of live acts including Maximo Park, Ocean Colour Scene, Fun Lovin’ Criminals and Gary Numan. Not only does it play host to a number of good charities and causes, but the Ben and Jerry’s Sundae Festival is also climate neutral, so you can enjoy the fun in the sun without the extra guilt!

The only downside of this tasty family experience is the risk of adverse weather conditions raining on the fun, which is sure to turn Mississippi Mud Pie into more than just an ice cream flavour. But when the sun is shining, this is a perfect way to spend a summer’s day with friends and family.

What: Bulmers Cider Garden
Where: London’s South Bank
When: 3rd-14th August

Cider lovers, this is the place for you! A pop-up bar has appeared on London’s South Bank, inviting people to soak up the August sunshine and pop open a Bulmers No 17 (Bulmer’s newest product containing crushed red berries).

The Bulmers Cider Garden is open to everyone (over 18) and offers live music curated by Festival aficionados Rob Da Funk and free samples of the fruity drink.

In addition to the music and free refreshments,   visitors can take part in a series of fun experiments to help Bulmers find the ultimate cider drinking experience and enjoy some experimental acts on the Bulmers Experimenter’s Stage.

What: The British Gas Big Dip
Where: Clapham Common, London
When: July/August 2011

In the last month Clapham Common has been transformed into an ‘urban Swim festival’. The event, the brainchild of Olympic medallist Steve Parry, is supported by British Gas and is an extension of its British Swimming sponsorship. The brand objective for British Gas is to get people together through swimming, which is central to this event.

The Big Dip consists of a pool, beach, kids entertainment and, a must for all event these days, a recycle campaign – the ‘Speedo swim amnesty’. The event is a great, reasonably priced activity for families and children to while away the hours of the long school holidays. And for British Gas, what a great opportunity to engage its customers with its brand and sponsorship campaign and a strong message of community. http://bigdip.co.uk/

What: Field Day
When: 6th August 2011
Where: Victoria Park, London, E3

Field Day is not what you could call a brand lead festival, it’s more of a gathering of ‘in-the-know hipsters’. For anyone who knows me I am certainly not one of these but a friend’s hen do gathered the girls in a sunny Victoria Park for an afternoon of dancing, fairground rides and pear cider.

Despite the trendy crowd rebuffing too much brand led activity there were a couple of partnerships of note. Firstly the organisers teamed up with The Independent as a media partner to promote tickets to the festival targeting the liberal free-thinkers. They had a stand on site near the Village Green but to be honest I didn’t see too many people reading on site. Then there was the summer festival must have – the Pimms bus. Parked up with their traditional English picket fence and picnic tables they fit right in with the central village fete area. There is certainly more that brands could bring to Field Day but I’m not so sure the audience would take kindly to a title sponsor.

What: Hackney Wicked
Where: Hackney Wick, London
When: Friday 29th July – Sunday 31st July 2011

Sandwiched between the Olympic Park and Victoria Park lies Hackney Wick – an unassuming place with the highest number of artists per capita in the world. For the fourth year, Hackney Wick puts on a 3 day East London arts festival aptly named ‘Hackney WickED’. Fuelling the existing art scene, the festival showcases work from both local and international artists through studios, mobile galleries, graffiti jams, pop up spaces, installations, live music stages and events.

Special events saw film screenings at the Floating Cinema, Films on Fridges and Folly for a Flyover. Not forgetting the opportunity to try a coracle on the River Lee with the emerging Olympic Park in background.

Described as “a post-apocalyptic world where only the artists survived” this is a festival with a real sense of community and passion for the local arts scene.

By Emily Waring on August 22nd, 2011

Tags: Brand marketing, Default, Experiential marketing, Food & Drink, Music, PR, Public relations, Synergy Loves

No comments

The inaugural Set4Sport Roadshow, supported by RBS took place on the 10^th August in South Shields, South Tyneside.

The brainchild of Judy Murray, Set4Sport was launched in June, with the help of Jamie and Andy Murray, and showcases games that Judy played with both of her sons when she was looking to improve their coordination and agility, whilst also providing some essential parent / child bonding opportunities.

With the British summer living up to its reputation, we had to put our wet weather plan into action and move from South Marine Park, to a covered area on the Seafront.

Whilst a smaller turnout was therefore expected, we were pleased to see the hardcore British Holiday-goers still come to the beach, no matter what the weather!  Immediately upon opening, we had families queuing to take part in ‘Double Trouble’, ‘Race ‘n’ Chase’ and ‘Jumping the River’, to name but a few of the activities. Our brilliantly enthusiastic coaches took the families through the games, all of which could easily be created at home with items such as cereal boxes, baked bean tins, cuddly toys, cushions and jumpers.

Judy led her team of coaches throughout the day and was never far from the action with a ball or hula hoop in hand, except for a quick radio interview or to chat to families as to how they could incorporate these games into their home life.

We are looking forward to the next event in Halifax on the 16^th August where we will be at Eureka! The National Children’s Museum.

By Samantha Pillage on August 17th, 2011

Tags: Andy Murray, Brand marketing, Celebrity, community, Event management service, Experiential marketing, grass roots sport, Judy Murray, Sponsorship

No comments

With the hot topic of getting more people of all ages active in the UK, a campaign produced by Nike in Amsterdam recently caught my eye that really injected ‘fun’ into running.

What happened?

At the end of last year, Nike began its Take Mokum campaign (Mokum being the nickname for Amsterdam). This campaign was launched in conjunction with the Nike Run House in Amsterdam and looked to blend running with creativity in a way that encouraged people to run. To emphasise this desired relationship between creativity and running, Nike, as the world’s leading running brand, bravely used the concept that ‘running is boring’ as the big idea to this campaign.

Now I agree with this concept that running is boring. I say this because running is an activity that the majority of people take up in order to achieve a desired goal, usually weight loss, improved fitness or improved health. It is very seldom that someone speaks of the fun they have when pounding the pavements of their city. The Take Mokum campaign therefore looked to create a different reason, away from health, for society to get running.

Nike identified the creative segment of society, the segment usually associated with self-expression through music (hip-hop), design and art (graffiti), as a segment that would be receptive to the idea of a new, fun ulterior motive to run. Nike decided to appeal to this segments passion of self-expression and sense of underground culture while encouraging them to get out on the streets running. This is how Take Mokum was born.

Take Mokum gave people the chance to create a graffiti image of a running route around Amsterdam. These images ranged from a butterfly to a skull and could be constructed and shared with friends across various social media platforms, including Facebook. Allow this video to explain Take Mokum to you.

Why we like it

We like Nike’s Take Mokum campaign due to its creative approach in appealing to the passion points of Amsterdam’s youth in order to encourage them to get running. Nike has successfully incorporated a fun and creative solution to a campaign that’s primary goal is to increase youth participation in inner city running. In doing so it has brought authenticity to the perception that Nike is not just a running brand, but rather a lifestyle brand that allows you to express the individual you are – all while sharing it with your friends on Facebook.

Over the six-week period that the campaign ran, 9,000 people signed up and the app achieved 14,500 Likes on Facebook.  This may not sound that impressive initially but when considering  that Amsterdam’s population is relatively small (767,000), and that the 9000 Take Mokum runners would have acted as Nike ambassadors, it creates, by immersing itself in the consumer’s world, engaging conversations both on and off line around the Nike brand.

By Mike Russell on July 26th, 2011

Tags: Art & Design, Athletics, Brand marketing, community, Default, Design, Experiential marketing, Public relations, Running, Social Media, Sport, Synergy Loves, Synopsis

No comments

Wonderbra has, since the Nineties, been delivering us iconic marketing campaigns. When Eva Herzigova stopped traffic in 1994, the lingerie brand’s appeal to both guys and girls was obvious – the boys wanted Eva, the girls wanted underwear that made them look like Eva. Put simply, sex sells.

Well, fast-forward to Noughties and that much hasn’t changed. Wonderbra hasn’t developed any more subtlety in its appeal, but it has started creating more engaging campaigns that say something tangible about the product benefits (beyond the broad ‘wear this, look hot’).

First there was Sabraine Banando going 3D on a roadside billboard in 2008, cueing talk of more traffic accidents.

And then, this year, we were given the Wonderbra trampoline.

What happened:

Well, it’s pretty simple really. Wanting to extol the virtues of their brand new strapless bra, Wonderbra needed to put it to the test. And they started with an important insight: as the female readers amongst you will know, excessive movement in a strapless bra (gigs, festivals, dancefloors being prime locations) is largely inadvisable, unless you are very confident in the professed ability of your product.

So, to prove themselves to be the ultimate support, Wonderbra put trampolines in fitting rooms in Belgium – building on a PR stunt they had held in Spain the previous year. Customers could check out exactly how the bra fared under the most bouncy conditions. Then they filmed it, and made a cute viral to spread the word.

Why we like it:

Wonderbra looked at their product values, which to date had been largely focused on enhancing assets, and had conveyed little about support. So, having identified a gap in their product line, they took an important insight from their target audience to communicate brand and product value.

Sure it was a gimmick and comments on the video were not all complimentary of the methodology, but it was a fun one. And importantly (prior the video viral being removed from YouTube for “violation of YouTube’s policy on nudity or sexual content”), the product was shown to work, convincing a whole host of women that Wonderbra isn’t just a one-trick push-up pony.

They kept the provocative nature of the brand alive by creating a video they knew would go viral and would probably only survive a matter of weeks on YouTube – which it did. But losing the video didn’t matter. Word would still spread that Wonderbra creates such an effective strapless bra, that they’re willing to test it to the limit and put the evidence online. The fact that the screen below is all you can now see of the video only serves to bolster their cheeky, risqué position.

What the brand says:

Head of Marketing, Julia Nolan, has commented on the new range: “We conducted a comprehensive series of tests with real girls, which included dancing, bending, stretching and jumping, all designed to put the bra through its paces.

‘This unique technology lifts the weight of the bust, supports and gives a trusted Wonderbra cleavage. We have created a groundbreaking garment giving women the perfect solution to the age old strapless bra problem.”

By Lucie Bartlett on June 17th, 2011

Tags: Advertising, Experiential marketing, Fashion, Synergy Loves, Synopsis, YouTube

No comments

Having worked on a number of different Chivas Brothers projects in the last year, it was exciting to receive a brief from a brand that was new to us, Royal Salute.

Last weekend we managed the guest programme for the launch of Royal Salute, ‘Tribute to Honour’ in London.

Royal Salute treated guests to a weekend of luxury that you would only expect from the world’s leading luxury Scotch whisky. This included accommodation at Claridge’s, an informal dinner at Koffmann’s on the Friday; lunch at The Ritz the following day, and dinner at One Mayfair that evening.

Following the lunch on Saturday, guests attended Garrard for the unveiling of a very rare and special bottle of Royal Salute - so rare that only one man in the world has tasted it: creator and Master Blender, Colin Scott. This bottle is known as ‘Tribute to Honour’.

‘Tribute to Honour’ has been created to pay homage to the oldest crown jewels of the British Isles: The Honours of Scotland.  It is presented in the spectacular bejewelled bottle, dressed by Garrard in flawless diamonds and shimmering gold. As the world’s oldest jeweller to royalty, Garrard embellished the Royal Salute Tribute to Honour bottle with 413 flawless white and black diamonds.

Each bottle of Royal Salute ‘Tribute to Honour’ is individually numbered and priced at £122,000 (US$200,000) with only 21 in existence!

The pièce de résistance of the weekend took place on Sunday, as guests braced themselves for the wind and rain to head to Ascot to watch Prince Harry compete against his brother, the Duke of Cambridge, in the Sentebale Polo Cup, sponsored by Royal Salute. Before you ask, there was sadly no Kate Middleton appearance, but guests mingled with the two Princes, Zara Phillips, Neve Campbell, Karolina Kurkova and Ellie Goulding!

A number of our guests had the privilege of meeting Prince Harry following the defeat to his brother in the polo match - an experience that they will never forget. All guests attended the official dinner and Royal Salute after party in the exquisite grounds of Coworth Park.

By Samantha Pillage on June 17th, 2011

Tags: Alcohol, Brand marketing, Event management consultants, Event management service, Experiential marketing, Sport

No comments

Team Synergy has been rather busy this week – and for the last few weeks actually – helping Judy Murray get a brand new family activity programme off the ground ahead of Wimbledon.

Set4Sport, supported by Andy and Jamie Murray’s long-term sponsor, RBS, is a programme inspired by Judy’s years of experience as a tennis coach and parent, which showcases easy and accessible ways for parents to play with their children that develop the skills required for playing sport. And it was our job to announce this new venture to the UK press.

So while the rest of the nation watched Andy’s fantastic victory at Queen’s on Monday, the RBS team at Synergy were busy bees, effectively re-planning our media launch in less than 24 hours – as the rain delays from Sunday meant best laid plans for a Monday launch in Regents Park ground to a sudden hault. Instead, we prepared to move Team Murray, the media, the event and all associated logistics (not least including 16 willing parents and children to take part) to a 10am start on Tuesday.

No longer able to set up in central London due to the boys’ hectic playing schedules this week, the action moved to Singlegate Primary School in Colliers Wood, near Wimbledon, who willingly offered up their lovely school grounds (and parents and children) to host the event.

Judy, led by a trusty team of four coaches, had designed the perfect sample event, showcasing four of the Set4Sport activities, and providing all the attending parents and kids with some great inspiration for fun and effective playtime games. (To find out exactly how you play Jumping the River, Beat the Goalie, Double Trouble and Dodgems, check out the website, where you can download them all.)

The nation’s media were obviously leaping at the chance to speak to a Queen’s Champ and Set4Sport offered them something fresh to focus on ahead of Wimbledon, though both boys naturally found themselves fending off questions around winning the British Grand Slam (or in Jamie’s case, winning again). Singlegate Primary had never seen so many cameras with crews from BBC, ITV, Sky and PA all clustered around their playground, with features running from Tuesday evening through yesterday’s news agenda.

Even the tennis writers – most of whom had spent the last 8 days following Andy’s progress at Queen’s – all rocked up on the day for a chat with him and Judy, and gave Set4Sport a great show in the press yesterday morning, with feature pieces in the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Independent, Metro and City AM to name a few.

And while the coverage started landing, Synergy and Judy’s work was not yet done. Yesterday morning started at dawn with a slot on the ITV Daybreak sofa, and onwards to the BBC for eleven interviews with radio stations around the UK, making sure all the regions know about the programme in preparation for the Set4Sport Live roadshows hitting cities this summer.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Murrays had found time on Tuesday to sit down and chat with some of the leading national feature writers, with highlights published today including a front page cover shot in The Times’ T2 supplement, a double page spread in the Daily Mirror, and an upcoming column in The Sun newspaper.

Set4Sport marks an exciting new venture for the Murray family, but also for RBS as it is the perfect representation of their new approach to sponsorship. All of our work with them is focused on investing in and supporting their customers’ local communities and Set4Sport fits that new ethos perfectly. Check out www.Set4Sport.com and have a look yourself.

By Lucie Bartlett on June 16th, 2011

Tags: Andy Murray, Celebrity, Communications, Event management service, Experiential marketing, grass roots sport, Public relations, Sponsorship, Sport, Synergy, Tennis

No comments

With the RBS 6 Nations coming to an end mid-March, you might expect the team at Synergy to put their feet-up, have a cup of tea and relax. But you would be wrong, dear blog reader. The Championship may be over, but the RBS team has had a busy few weeks as activity steps-up a gear for the 2011 RBS RugbyForce programme.

Now in its third year, RBS RugbyForce is a nationwide community volunteer programme which helps local rugby clubs to improve their facilities. It is an opportunity for clubs to gather members, supporters, friends and family for a weekend of fun-filled DIY. Registered clubs are provided with online guidance and tools to help them co-ordinate a community-wide effort to give their club a make-over. This year the RBS RugbyForce Weekend will take place over 11th/12th June – or, as we like to call it in the office, ‘proper British summer time.’

RBS RugbyForce 2011 was launched back in late 2010 in England, Scotland and Wales with the support of a few rugby friends. Ex-England international Phil Vickery kicked off proceedings with the England launch in November at Bingham RFC in Nottinghamshire. See Phil in action at the launch below:

Shane Williams launched the Wales RBS RugbyForce programme at Cardigan RFC in late November, an event which saw the entire community head down to the club to meet their hero, due partly to an earlier interview we placed on BBC Wales – a true testament to the power of PR.

Braving the snow and chilly conditions in December, the Scotland launch was held by Allan Jacobsen and Chris Paterson at North Berwick RFC. Taking the weather conditions in their stride the players still managed to hold a special training session for the youth teams and even find time to build a snowman.

But the team didn’t stop at the launch events alone. Throughout the RBS 6 Nations the Synergy press office team went into overdrive ensuring every opportunity was seized, whether it be sponsored columns, ticket competitions or contracted union player appearances.

Our aim was to ensure that every club across the UK knew they had until 25th March to register. In a nutshell, unless you’ve been on another planet over the last two months, you would be hard pushed not to have come across one of the 340 articles on RBS RugbyForce that we have generated. For those who may not have flicked to the back pages of the newspapers (tsk), below are a few highlights:

As a result of all the hard work, RBS RugbyForce 2011 received 398 registrations in total and we will be announcing the winners shortly. In addition to the three main winners, each country has secondary clubs who will receive a smaller support package and the first 100 clubs who registered will be awarded with DIY vouchers and t-shirts for volunteers to wear during the RBS RugbyForce Weekend.

However, our work doesn’t end here. In the run up to the final Weekend the team at Synergy will be looking to drum up support for the clubs taking part in the regional press and encourage the community to rally together and head down to their local club on 11th and 12th June.

If you want to register your club, it’s not too late. Log on to www.rbs.co.uk/rugbyforce where you can find out if your local club is taking part. Keep your eyes peeled in June for coverage around all three launch events and more importantly get down to your local club, pitch in and show your support.

By Jennifer Mitton on April 8th, 2011

Tags: Charity, Communications, community, Experiential marketing, grass roots sport, Media, Public relations, RBS 6 Nations, Rugby, Sponsorship, Sport, Synopsis

No comments